but if i may say so and it is not because I am a DC suburb brat these days, but Jesus, New York was so dirty it made me shiver… never have i seen so much litter in one place stretching for blocks and blocks at whatever time of the day.

And stepping into Brooklyn was like going to another foreign country… looking forward to going back, I am not done staring yet.

And thanks for putting that photo of the church. I remember it from your site and have been longing to find it ever since. Sometimes such plans take a long, winding road, but I got ‘er done. And I expect to do it again in better summer weather with far more exacting patience. (Check out Frank’s version linked above.)

As for the Palace, I had wanted to go inside since they had banners declaring it would be open starting on the 1st.  Unfortunately, I got sidetracked by equally attractive prospects and, thus, missed out.  Next time!

Monsoux – Grinning like an imp, are you? Chimay, va rog. =P

Anyone – If you haven’t already, be sure to read Andy’s New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day posts from Miercurea Ciuc.

I see lots of beer in your future :D

Palatul Parlamentului is quite ugly. Mostly because of everything they mixed in it. You should see the inside! It is so…full of everything. As for the Student’s Church, it is indeed my favorite in Bucharest. Loved it from the frist moment I saw it.

Monsoux – There’s no emoticon for looking down dejectedly and kicking the dirt, so I’ll simply have to defend myself by stating that I did, indeed, consider contacting a minute handful of friends I haven’t met yet, of which I have at least one witness that you are at the very top of that list.

Sadly, I fumbled around a bit with respect to the idea that it was a major celebratory event and you (and others) were likely to already have set plans involving chilled wine, hors d’oeurves, and haughty friends. It might be presumptuous and rude of me to interfere with such high times when I’d only really known for sure that I would be in Bucuresti with only 2 days advance notice. Not to mention that, even if I had barged in demanding certain people make room for me on their assumedly tight schedules, then what in my wardrobe could possibly allow me to compete in the same league as my well-meaning but nonetheless sexier superiors?

Bah. So, I put a notice up on the top of the blog, publicly announcing my impending journey and knowing full well many of us do not all read one another daily. I figured that perhaps one or two well-timed individuals might both see the notice and also find 15 minutes to buy me a beer. I justified it as being the most polite method, even if a bit limp. There it is, that’s what happened.

Not much better than your abject failure to make any attempt whatsoever on forewarnings about Brasov, mind you. ;) But I do have a potential remedy to resolve future crises of this nature: If you’re coming to Brasov, let me know beforehand, if you’re able, and I’ll try like the dickens to make some time.

If I’m going to back to Bucuresti, I’ll pummel you with emails like a spammer’s botnet. And, if you’re able to incorporate a little Romericanism into your daily routine, then we’ll have gotten somewhere. It certainly sounds easy enough.

My main concern was short notice and holiday plans. Not stepping on toes, etc.

So, while I’m waxing repentant, I should let it be known to others: If you’re coming to Brasov and wish to obtain my autograph, please notify my secretary as far in advance of your arrival as possible so I have better odds to mesh our respective schedules. Your odds of success increase relative to the amount of advance warning you give, to your tenure of being a regular, friendly blog reader, and also to subtly dropped hints about how strong your desire to bribe with beer is.

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